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Development Operations Assistant

The Development Operations Assistant is a key member of Shedd Aquarium’s Development department, working primarily on the processing of gifts and within the Tessitura database to assist other team members. Under the supervision of the Development Operations Manager, the Assistant is responsible for daily gift processing & coding, the gift acknowledgement program, ongoing testing and data updates within the Tessitura CRM, and providing general assistance in the facilitation of cultivation and acquisition of donors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Demonstrate commitment to Shedd’s vision, mission and values
  • Responsible for the processing of gifts in the Tessitura database, ensuring the accuracy of gift coding
  • Responsible for the printed and emailed gift acknowledgement process; work collaboratively with other team members to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriately generous acknowledgements and tax receipts are issued for gifts received, including managing tracking methods for all steps of the process and quality assurance and review for merge data
  • Conduct audits of gift processing and acknowledgement systems to ensure highest quality standards
  • Assist the Development Operations Manager with the articulation of and updates to Development-centric Tessitura operating procedures, identifying opportunities for improvement, including updates to Gift Processing Manual, Version Upgrade & Patch Testing Plans, and how-to guides for all aspects of Development activities
  • Liaise with Central Station staff: ensure clarity and understanding of gift processing standards especially when conducted by non-Development CS colleagues; communicate business practices and procedure changes on an ongoing basis
  • Assist with ensuring the accuracy of the database including constituent records, coding, and consistent data entry
  • Assist Development Operations Manager with the organization’s segmentation needs through Tessitura Lists & Extractions management
  • Assist the Director, Development Operations and Strategy with annual Donor and Member Benefits assessment
  • Support Director, Development Operations and Strategy with collaborations across departments, especially including regular reconciliation with Finance team
  • Maintain a high level of customer service to both internal and external audiences
  • Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education
Associate’s degree or equivalent work experience.
 
Experience
  • Minimum 1 year of experience in a nonprofit setting (development setting highly preferred but not required)
  • Experience working in a donor database (Tessitura experience highly preferred)
  • Experience working in team-based environments
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills

We strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ community, veterans and active duty military, parents, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from all cultural backgrounds to apply.
Shedd Aquarium is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.
If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.
In your application, please feel free to select which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs).